Man pleads guilty in prescription drug scheme
The leader of an organization that unlawfully transported prescription drugs from Las Vegas to Alaska and laundered more than $1 million pleaded guilty in federal court Monday.
Nicholas Ghafouria, 28, of Las Vegas, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy, drug and money laundering charges, Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said.
Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt is to sentence Ghafouria on Jan. 3.
He is accused of conspiring to unlawfully distribute the prescription painkiller oxycodone and laundering the money through Las Vegas banks.
As part of his plea agreement with the government, Ghafouria will accept a 15-year prison term.
"Prescription drug trafficking and prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed over the last decade," Bogden said in a statement.
"The U.S. Attorney's Office in Nevada has been working aggressively with federal, state and local law enforcement to attack this problem."
Ghafouria admitted in his plea agreement that between May 2009 and November 2010, he conspired with others to distribute over 4,000 oxycodone pills in Alaska.
In all, 27 people, eight from Las Vegas and 19 from Alaska, have pleaded guilty in drug conspiracy, Bogden said.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
